Tough
by BullardCR
Summary: Someone should have warned Kensuke and Toji playing god is a bad idea. Someone should have warned Shinji that being on the receiving end of someone playing god is much worse.
1. Chapter I: Extracurricular Activities

I do not own the rights to Neon Genesis Evangelion, or any of the characters, equipment, or locations written in this fanfiction. The purpose of this fanfiction is merely for the non-profit enjoyment of other readers. If requested by Gainax, Hideki Anno, or other parties which represent aforementioned objects in this story, I will remove it promptly.

**Chapter I:**

Shinji Ikari didn't know when Kensuke started to have the nerve to calculate the pilots' respective odds for getting laid before they died in some horrible fashion on the battlefield, but his daily statistical report on his website was becoming infuriating. Somehow, word had spread like wildfire, and every morning for two weeks, the students of Class 2-A logged in on their laptops for the daily report.

There were three sub-pages for each of the pilots, containing brief biographies, a statistical plot of their weekly social interaction with the opposite sex shown in a normal distribution curve, ratings of each pilot's "dateability", and more importantly, an e-mail link to Kensuke for visitors to comment on the material. The most entertaining of the suggestions were posted on the main page, as well as the daily summary of the statistical data into laymen's terms.

Rei simply ignored the attention and proceeded as planned. Asuka seemed to take pleasure in it, until the statistics indicated the First Child had a higher attractiveness rating based on "submissive, feminine features". Shinji, on the other hand, was sick of all the attention. He was especially sick of it when the photographs of each pilot came out on their respective sub-page. The content included the embarrassing photos in the dance leotards during their synchronization training, though Asuka's photos were limited shortly after Aida came to school with a black eye.

"I didn't even _see_ a camera!" the young Ikari squeaked when the small group of clingy girls showed him the website that brought him so much fame. One even tried pinching him in a rather private area, and it was only when Rei came forward to quote the school regulations on sexual harassment that the clique had finally backed down.

For the first two weeks, the data, regardless of how wildly it shifted as fans tried to take an active role in upping the odds, all pointed to the same conclusion. "All three pilots," the website stated in cold text, "are still single, and unlikely to become intimate before death." The webpage fever had been growing at a constant rate, until today. Today, there was a new feature to the website: a special contest.

It was more than a half an hour before class, but the students were already there, chattering wildly. The boys and girls formed into two separate, yet parallel lines, both approaching the teacher's front desk. There were two baseball caps kindly donated by Toji and Kensuke, as their sensei informed them this project could count toward their grade if properly documented. Ticket stubs were nonexistent, until a hall monitor heard the news, and quickly commandeered the library's copier paper supply.

Asuka and Shinji stumbled into the classroom just as the last five boys and three girls were left standing before the desk. Rei had long since moved from her usual desk, and taken the furthest seat at the far back corner of the room. As Soryu and Ikari approached the blue-haired girl, she knew what their question would be. "It is some sort of competition," she began, "based on random, non-replacement draw-"

"Yes, yes, we are so pleased with your _superior_ knowledge in boring subjects," Asuka interrupted, waving her hand in disgust. "What is it about?"

Rei squinted at her adversary, then spun her laptop around. The web browser was open, viewing the one webpage Shinji did not want to see. The German leaned over, reading the flashing, brilliant text which replaced the standard "still single" message. "All new dating _contest_?" the girl shrieked. "Winner by non-replacement draw-" she paused, glaring at Rei, "wins a date with the respective pilot of choice?"

Asuka clutched the laptop, pulling it away from it's rightful user, and scrolled down the screen for the details of the promotion. Shinji moved closer, breathing down Asuka's shoulder. "As the subjects are naturally introverted, blah, blah, blah," he started. "Wait, sexually confused?"

Asuka pulled away from the screen just long enough to throw something across the room towards Kensuke. Shinji continued to read silently, until he passed the mindless legal speak and reached the meat of the proposal. "Therefore, a raffle will be held to randomly select a potential heterosexual partner for each pilot this Thursday morning." Asuka was fuming now. It wasn't so bad when she was winning compared to the First or Third Child in social graces or physical beauty. But now the people she had sworn to protect with the Eva were taking away her reproductive rights, disguised under the masque of a potentially illegal school lottery.

"Thank God Kensuke started this_ after _the school festival," Shinji sighed. "Otherwise, everyone in the entire district would be involved." Ikari could just imagine the riot erupting between the parents, all trying to compete for the "honor" of their own daughter bearing his children. While Shinji was not necessarily arrogant, he imagined this scenario because the fame of being a pilot outweighed post-Second Impact mores.

"Everyone!" Kensuke announced, standing on the desktop. "The final tickets are in! The raffle will now commence!" Toji joined the nerd now, both standing in full view of the attendants. It amazed Ayanami how many people showed up, as it was still thirty minutes until class began. She wondered if this contest could be held regularly, so she could not be just one of two occupants at this time of morning. Whether she understood it or not, Rei instinctively felt the hate of being alone.

"As you know," Toji now took over, "since there are two female pilots, and one male, those of you lucky bachelors who participated were required to write both your name, and rank the two female pilots." Instantly Shinji started to side-step to his right, as Asuka was glaring at Rei again with hostile intent. "Unfortunately, Rei Ayanami has been overwhelmingly selected by all contestants as their primary vote, so the two contestants drawn must call sides of a coin to-"

Asuka did not react in her normal, aggressive fashion. Instead, when her fists clenched, the class observed her face wrinkle once as she bolted towards the door. Just a few seconds after she left, the testosterone hiding within the young Ikari finally showed itself, the pilot slamming a heavy encyclopedia down on one of the farthest desks. Suddenly, all attention was on him.

"I hope you're happy with yourselves," he hissed. The students all looked confused, like goldfish staring out of their protective bowl. The Third Child shook his head. None of them understood. None of them ever would. He made his way to the door, opened it, and was just about to chase after his comrade when he felt something more should be said. "Sometimes I wonder why I continue to fight. Maybe, after this, we'll just choose _not _to save you anymore."

Each person in the class paused and gulped loudly for a moment, but only a moment. Once Shinji and the few seconds of dread left, everyone returned to celebrating. It wasn't that they were completely unaware Shinji was serious. Rather, as the class representative learned, the only one left staring towards the door, no one believed the pilots had the right to choose.

"Of course they will fight for us!" one girl with pig-tails grinned behind her thick glasses. "They work for us, you know!" A friend started to argue, but the rat-faced girl simply waved her hand in reassurance. "It's not their place to complain!" She would have continued talking, had the class representative not responded.

When Hikari recited the day's events back to her eldest sister, Kodama, the high schooler was quite shocked. The class representative strode confidently up to the girl who spoke out of place, and slapped her hard. The teacher entered early to see how Aida and Suzahara's project had proceeded, when all attention shifted to the growing catfight, which quickly evolved into an all-out brawl. Had four-eyes realized Hikari was not only part of the track team, but also a member of the karate club, she would have backed down after being struck the first time. In the end, Kodama was surprised that Hikari would stoop so low as violence, and that the aggressor was so stupid as to take five minutes of continuous blows until she retracted her statement.

"Hikari Horaki," the teacher mumbled numbly, "please go to the principal's office."

•••••••••••••

Kodama was only thankful she had been called away during the middle of calculus. While she was good at the subject, the concept frustrated her. It was just more algebra with a fancier dressing. The eldest Horaki didn't have to walk far, as the two schools were in fairly close proximity, all within the borders of the safest, furthest district from the points of entry into the valley. The walk took nearly twenty minutes, though it would have taken longer if Kodama were walking at a leisurely pace.

It was rare for her to be called to pick up Hikari, so her younger sister had to be sick. The high schooler never understood the complexities of the genetics involved, but for some reason, it always seemed the youngest children in a family were the ones who were regularly ill. Then again, there were some logical reasons. Unlike the high school, Tokyo-3's local junior high always seemed filthy, almost like a run-down third world country she would see on the constant "adopt a child" infomercials.

"Hikari?" Kodama asked, quite surprised when she found her sister in the office, staring at her feet. The class representative was sitting in the ugly orange vinyl and steel framed "time-out chair", as it was nicknamed years ago. "You're... not sick?" The concept any of the Horaki girls would ever be removed from school for disciplinary action was unheard of. The secretary had to ask the principal twice before she placed the call to Kodama's cell phone. "What is this about?"

"I've been... suspended," Hikari began, "for picking a fight with a classmate."

Kodama gasped, but then asked the only important question. "Did you win?"

"KODAMA!" Hikari shouted. The former class representative buried her face in her hands. "God, I feel _horrible_!" The eldest sister made her way to Hikari's side, taking a seat in the ugly green vinyl and steel framed "parent or guardian chair".

Kodama wrapped her arms around the girl's shoulders, pulling Hikari's head into her chest. "Don't worry about it," the high-schooler whispered. "Is there anything we need to pick up before we leave?"

Hikari nodded.

"Do you want me to come with?"

Again, Hikari nodded.

"Okay, let's go."

•••••••••••••

The teacher sighed. Regardless of the content, Kensuke Aida had done as he asked, and documented _everything_. All the statistics were delivered on a flash drive in Microsoft Excel, as well as hard copies printed with simple, unbiased graphs. The website was incredibly well-detailed in the subject material of the pilots, observational study, statistics, and the history of online dating. Toji Suzahara, while only joining the group to earn the extra credit points, also contributed a quantity of material, though it was mostly hyperlinks and daily data entry.. "Okay," he sighed. "I will have this graded by the end of next week." He then looked around the classroom, and grinned. "Though I want the end results of the contest posted online before I turn in your grade, so I can offer constructive criticism."

Neither of the two boys seemed to mind. Toji at first thought his friend was crazy, taking something as entertaining as school gossip and quantifying it. However, the daily reports quickly gained a cult following, and when a poll in the student newspaper revealed Kensuke's site as the most widely viewed webpage amongst the students, even surpassing the popular blog sites, Suzahara realized Aida was on to something. As such, for both the scientific interest as well as the fame, no, the glory of having such an important role in the school's social hierarchy, they would continue the report until the final outcome was achieved.

But what was the final outcome? Neither of the two wanted to even think about their friend dying, but the study advertised it would continue to list the probabilities the pilots would remain virgins until death in combat. "Well, clearly," Kensuke explained during lunch break, "once combat ends, the study will end."

"But when is that going to happen?" Toji grumbled. The two stared at each other, then around the room, and slowly looked out at the remains of the city which had been lost in the destruction of the battles. They had stumbled onto the serious subject of their own mortality, and the possibility everyone they knew could die. Toji thought for a moment about his sister, and Kensuke thought about Toji thinking about his sister. The pair realized they had broken an unspoken rule: _never_ speak of the war. If no one talked about it, the war didn't exist, and they weren't in danger.

Aida was the first to change the subject. "Do you have the results?" Toji had completely forgotten, and quickly retrieved the folded piece of white printer paper he had scribbled on. There were several copies passed around with fake results, all to prevent the hungry fans from tearing the answer out of Suzahara's hands. "We agreed that Asuka-"

"Yeah," Toji nodded. "That was pretty cruel, wasn't it? I don't know what we were thinking!"

"Alright," Kensuke replied. "So, you have the money to bribe Hiroshi, and pay for a fine night of dinner, dancing, and a movie?"

Toji realized he had to pay for trying to jump into the project just for a grade, but he didn't think he had to pay literally. "Yeah," he sighed. "Though you know, if Asuka finds out, she'll really be depressed." Neither had thought about the pilots' feelings until that outburst from Shinji. For that, they thanked him.

"Hiroshi can be trusted," Kensuke smiled mischievously. He knew, unlike Suzahara, that Hiroshi Kato, the second-highest honor roll student of the school, didn't just know when to keep his mouth shut. He also checked Asuka's sub-page religiously since the beginning of the project. Aida couldn't call back those hateful words, but he thought he could at least make up the difference. Besides, he owed Hiroshi for tutoring in algebra. "So, what about Rei?"

"I can't even believe s_he_ won!" Toji exclaimed. "We explained it specifically. It was _supposed_ to be a heterosexual pairing!" The jock sighed again, and rubbed his forehead with his right palm. "Though she said she just wanted to be friends with Rei, taking her on a girl's night out kind of thing."

"Well, it might do more good for Rei than setting her up with some guy," Kensuke considered. "I mean, you _know_ why most of the guys in the class put her as the top vote, right?" Toji nodded. While Ayanami was attractive and smart, both boys knew their classmates had questionable tastes. "The whole corrupting the innocent schoolgirl thing just isn't cool," Aida grumbled.

"I'm surprised you didn't try to get in on the contest," Toji grinned. "I know what you think about her."

Kensuke glared at his friend, but knew how to respond. "We have to remain out of the contest. It's only fair! So, Yuki it is?"

Toji nodded, and looked back at the girl in question. She had pitch black hair cut to shoulder length, hazel eyes, and a narrow, plain face. Yuki looked back at the two with interest, as well as many others. Toji nodded slightly in her direction, and instantly, the girl balled her right fist, throwing her arm up in success. "YES!" she hissed in delight.

"A little too extroverted, don't you think?" Kensuke muttered.

"Nah," Toji smiled. "Besides, it will be nice to see her cheer Rei up. Normally she can't get anywhere near Ayanami before that girl disappears."

Kensuke took a deep breath. "Okay, now, the moment of truth."

Toji grumbled momentarily,

"What is it?" Aida asked. Suzahara passed the paper to his friend, watching the nerd's jaw drop. "Wait a minute! Doesn't she like _you_?" Toji nodded numbly. "Then... how the _hell_?"

"One of the girls put her name in for her," the jock grunted. Aida knew it was a touchy subject, but pleaded for his friend to reveal the culprit. It was to maintain the unbiased nature of the study, after all. "It's _her_," Toji grumbled, slumping into the desk.

"You let your sister vote before everyone else?" Kensuke stared in disbelief.

"She _made_ me do it! You know I can't say no to her, not _now_." Yes, Kensuke thought. He did know. "She's just trying to get even for all the times I called her names."

"Or, maybe she knows it will do you some good," Aida sighed. "I mean, face it, Toj, you're not doing anything about it! Maybe your sister is just giving you the swift kick in the pants you need." Toji found he could not argue about the subject. Instead, he mindlessly opened the HTML editor, typed in the results, uploaded the changes to the website, and checked the web browser once a few minutes had passed. "How many hits are we up to?"

"Holy sh-" Toji gasped.

Kensuke turned the laptop, staring at the screen. "Over two-_thousand_ hits?"

A quick refresh revealed another, and they were able to pinpoint the source when the small group of girls squealed in disgust. "Hikari Horaki?" the one behind the computer whimpered. "But I wanted him!"

End of Chapter I

•••••••••••••

Yes, it was time to finally give a romance story a shot. Of course, I'm the kind of guy who doesn't see Asuka and Shinji working out, nor do I favor the incest involved in getting Rei and Shinji together. Then you might ask, what about Maya and Shinji? While the more innocent of those incarnations are great to read, the majority of them fall into the category of potential storylines for a Law and Order: Special Victims Unit/Eva crossover (and that wouldn't be fun, because you _know _Benson would have to pry Stabler away from the interrogation room before he kicked Maya's ass).

Then there's always the Ritsuko and Shinji roommate plotline. Those are cool, but you have to wonder who in their right mind could stand living with a woman who's not only the daughter of your father's mistress, but now the new mistress after your cloned mother led the first one to suicide?

Now consider a Kaworu and Shinji pairing. Again, this belongs in an appropriate crossover (perhaps Queer Eye for the Straight Guy?). The only potential relationships left involve Shinji and some adult character of the male bridge crew, Professor Fuyutsuki, some randomly invented female character from the junior high school, Mana Kirashima, or Hikari Horaki. Out of all these results, only the two most popular remain.

While Mana is a nice girl, she's too perfect a girl for Shinji, or any otaku. Mana or any girl that makes the first move, yet is still soft and submissive enough to be there to comfort a male character may be nice for a while, but it weakens the man. That's the _last_ thing Shinji needs at this point, becoming a whipped introvert, no matter how good he compliments the kitchen appliances. No, what Shinji needs at this point, regardless of the insult or injury it will bring to the Women's Liberation movement, is to become an arrogant Raging Bull.

Therefore, to quote Highlander(1985): "There can be only one!"

•••••••••••••


	2. Chapter II: The First Day

I do not own the rights to Neon Genesis Evangelion, or any of the characters, equipment, or locations written in this fanfiction. The purpose of this fanfiction is merely for the non-profit enjoyment of other readers. If requested by Gainax, Hideki Anno, or other parties which represent aforementioned objects in this story, I will remove it promptly.

**Chapter II:**

"Asuka?" Shinji called out as he made his way up to the roof. That was where she would head, of course. That was where everyone went when they needed to skip class. Of course the administrators knew this, but there was little they could do. Any time a new lock set was put on the steel door, it was picked. Any time new regulations were put into effect, the rules were broken by practically all the students instead of the few regular offenders. There was just no use, and no other place for someone in a bad mood to hide.

"Don't start, Third Child!" Soryu whimpered as menacingly as she could. The redhead sat at the bench bolted to the roof, close to the chain-link fencing which prevented students from chucking personal items over the side. Ikari stepped cautiously closer, ready to retreat at a moment's notice. Asuka, however, gave him no reason to fall back. "You're probably laughing with the rest of them, aren't you?"

"I didn't laugh, Asuka," Shinji sighed. "What they did wasn't right."

"But you didn't stand up for me, did you?" The Second Child was suddenly on her feet, glaring at her companion. "You just stood there and let them laugh!" Her hands sprung out, reaching for the boy's throat. When they finally made contact, she hesitated, then struck him across the face hard. No, strangling was a man's way to kill. It was not the attack of a graceful woman who had been wronged. Perhaps it were these social norms that kept Shinji alive, but it didn't matter. The end result was always the same.

"I... I tried, Asuka," Ikari pleaded. "Really, I did!" Asuka was not impressed, and simply returned to prior position, glancing over the dull city. Finally Ikari got the message. "You don't believe me," he sighed. "Fine, don't believe me. I don't know why I still care, but I'll make sure I pick up your assignments-"

"Oh, the great Shinji won't let me ignore my duties now, will he?" Soryu muttered. "Always has to save the da-" She would have continued had Ikari not felt the sudden explosion of testosterone and adrenaline he had earlier at the girl's insult. Whether it was finally time for his body to develop, or what pity he took on others finally wore off, no one really knew. Up to that point, the boy had always managed to hide his emotions from others, usually to avoid criticism. That morning was different. For whatever reason, Shinji Ikari was losing the mental struggle.

"I hope you die," Ikari churned out through clenched teeth. Then, just as Asuka gaped at her soft-spoken roommate, Shinji reached out and struck her once across the cheek. It wasn't the hardest slap that could have been delivered, nor the most vicious, but it served a purpose. As the boy made his way to the stairwell, Asuka rose from the bench, and stared.

•••••••••••••

The lunch break was almost over when Hikari re-entered the classroom, followed by a taller version of herself. Some of the students gasped, others giggled, and a few of the boys looked up in awe at the slender brunette that followed behind. "Is that..?" Kensuke asked.

"Yeah, it's Kodama," Toji answered. "She's nice, but don't even think about it, Ken. She's taken." Aida would have given his left kidney at that point if it meant he could somehow steal the elder Horaki away. "All the nice, smart girls are always taken first. Besides, she tries to play the big sister role to anyone who visits Hikari or Nozomi."

"Hey there, Class Rep," Hikari's victim chuckled from a safe corner of the room, surrounded by her friends. "Tough luck, isn't it?" Hikari stumbled forward mindlessly to the front of the class, collecting her books, and receiving the two weeks of homework prepared in advance by the instructor. "Come on, say something!"

Kodama had had enough, even though she could receive some kind of disciplinary action through her own school by assaulting a younger student. She was making her way to the girl's desk when a young boy stepped up and approached the target.

"Can I have your name please?" Shinji asked calmly.

"Uh...um..." the girl began. "It's... Keiko." The girl's eyes widened behind her glasses, her smile following suit. Perhaps the great pilot was discarding the class representative as his chosen date and choosing her instead. It wasn't like she cared about the boy. Instead, he was simply a tool to gain prestige.

"Your address, please?" Ikari asked. The girls surrounding Keiko squealed. In the distance, Kensuke and Toji were not pleased. "Oh, and I would like to know about your family."

"A-are you choosing me, over that worthless Horaki girl?" Keiko smiled. Both Hikari and Kodama's heads whipped towards Shinji. Then, receiving a questioning look from her sister, Hikari glared at Toji.

"The results were just... weird all around," Kensuke answered for his stuttering partner.

The class ignored the side commentary, and returned to the assumed romance blossoming at the opposite corner of the room. Keiko told Shinji everything, as he tore a piece of notebook paper out of his briefcase, and scribbled down the precious intelligence. Out of nowhere, Shinji slowly removed the oval-framed reading glasses from his briefcase, the ones he usually avoided wearing in front of others. The advantage of being far-sighted meant he didn't need the corrective lenses in most cases. "So, when will you ask the question?" Keiko asked.

"You seem confused," Shinji answered with a frown. "I don't intend to date you. Regardless of my feelings toward it, Aida and Suzahara are receiving a grade on their project, and I would be a horrible friend to jeopardize their work." Hikari suddenly felt the same pity for herself as she did Asuka. She was becoming more of an object than a person. "Of course, that is with the class representative's consent, of course. Isn't that the terms of the contest, Kensuke?"

"Uhh... yeah," Kensuke lied. He had never thought the project would break down into such a mess. Both him and Toji found as the contest began, they were having to invent and reinvent rules on the fly to counter the various strategies used by the contestants.

"Then... I don't understand!" Keiko cried. "Why... why did you want to know-"

"I simply want to know who I should choose to 'accidentally' destroy when the next Angel comes, that's all." Hikari's eyes widened, as did Keiko's, and the rest of the class. No one really thought Shinji would have the guts to do what he threatened to do. Clearly, Keiko was wrong. Shinji did have a choice, and a weapon with free will is by far the most dangerous tool a society can wield against it's enemies. It's always a double-edged sword.

Shinji glared coolly at the subject, awaiting the results of his own experiment. Instinctively, he returned to his desk, steepling his fingers as he glared over the edge of his laptop.

"Is he... _really_ like this?" Kensuke breathed. "I mean... _this_ is the Shinji we were friends with?"

"So much for the project," Toji sighed. "They don't need to get laid. They need therapy!"

"Ms. Horaki," the teacher grumbled from the chalkboard. "You are causing a disruption in the classroom. Please remove yourself."

Both Horakis were about to leave, when Shinji grabbed his things numbly, remembering to take the piece of notebook paper with Keiko's information. It was only Hikari who noticed the Third's right hand crumpling the paper in his hands. "He's really going to do it," she muttered under her breath.

"And where do you think you are going, Mr. Ikari?" the instructor asked.

"Unless we are to study something other than Second Impact, I have no use of your services," the Child explained, glancing over the top of his glasses. "Also, I must ensure Mr. Aida and Mr. Suzahara's project is fulfilled, or I will deviate from the scenario." The class stared back, confused. "The center does not hold."

Kodama looked back at Toji, tilting her head towards her sister. The jock was smarter than others thought, picking up the message rather clearly. He would just have to tell Kensuke he had to take time off the project to visit the pair who had raised so much interest. They both needed him, no matter how strong they were. "Let's get out of here," the elder Horaki breathed. "This place gives me the creeps."

•••••••••••••

"Ms. Ayanami?" Yuki called out at the end of the school day on the stairs just outside the aged building. The raven-haired girl waved her hand frantically in the air to grasp her partner's attention. "Ms. Ayanami, wait up!" Rei stopped hesitantly, and glanced over her shoulder at the girl approaching her at a sprint. "Ms. Ayanami! It's me, Yuki, your _date _for Saturday afternoon!"

The entire population around the junior high seemed to freeze in place, all eyes on the First Child. They refused to look at the initiator of the awkward moment, but instead focused all their attention on the victim. Ayanami saw in slow motion Yuki's right hand make contact with her shoulder, the fingers relaxed. In those few seconds, Ayanami's brain worked in overdrive, calculating every potential meaning of her assailant's moves, methods to disable her attacker, and ways to evade the small group of girls which formed Yuki's back-up. The pilot's mind was made up on the tactics necessary, but for some odd reason, she could not bring herself to use lethal force. Instead, she simply stood there, frozen like the others in the crowd.

"Ms. Ayanami!" Yuki squealed again, smiling. "Come on! Say something!"

"You are mistaken," Rei breathed. Yuki could not grasp the girl's meaning until she spoke again. "We are not on intimate terms. That is what is required for a 'date', correct?"

The black-haired girl with the simple, plain features always pulled into a cheerful grin just smiled wider. "It's a joke, Ms. Ayanami!" she explained. "But the contest determined _we_ are to go out Saturday evening for a casual evening of fun."

"I have other duties," Rei answered coldly. The First Child would have left, but Yuki's hand still clung to her shoulder. "Please remove your hand, and let me proceed." The two girls stared at each other, the cold features countering the heartwarming smile and glint in the other's eyes. Rei was finding the situation very difficult, and whether it be from the cold or the tense encounter, began to tremble.

"Ms. Ayanami?"

"_Please!_" Ayanami whispered. Yuki could not believe it. When she looked into those red-tinted eyes, she saw fear. It wasn't fear of embarrassment or rejection, but intense, heart-stopping fear. Rei was not the kind to be afraid, at least not that the others knew. But that is exactly what Yuki saw when her hand lifted from the First Child's shoulder.

But that did not stop anything. Rei was numb, both mentally and physically. A few classmates passed by, asking if she was alright, or if there was some medication they needed to retrieve from the nurse's office. Yuki shrugged her shoulders at every inquiry, but as the number of people who approached grew, all clinging around the pair, the winning contestant made the logical connection.

"Just, give her a few minutes alone," Yuki said. Rei nodded, her trembling slowing, but not entirely fading. Yuki spotted a park bench in the courtyard a few meters to her right. "Come on, let's take a seat." Rei was still numb with fear, but followed the mother-like figure instinctively. The albino even seemed to relax, her knees unlocking when Yuki softly held the Child's hand. When they made it to the bench, the raven-haired girl spoke again. "I didn't mean to scare you. I just wanted to catch you before you left for home."

Ayanami stared straight ahead, sitting on the bench like a stone figure, a model of perfect posture. "I... do not wish to accompany you," she answered, her voice cracking.

"Why?" Yuki asked softly. "We're just going out with a couple friends, maybe see a movie, and maybe have dinner." Rei's left hand seemed to steady in the girl's soft hold, and Yuki responded by stroking the Child's knuckles with her fingertips. "I just want to be friends! I promise that's all!"

Rei did not understand the tactics being used against her, but she could not deny their effectiveness. She was feeling exhausted from the fight or flight syndrome draining her energy reserves, and the soft tactile stimuli were only adding to her drowsiness. Ayanami blinked once, then twice, and let out an all too human yawn.

"Long day?" Yuki asked.

Rei nodded, not making eye contact.

"You can... sleep, if you want." The Child didn't seem to understand, but it slowly dawned on her that her assailant was simply a harmless companion. Even so, she did not trust others to get close to her. It was risky, allowing people so close. "I _promise_ I won't cop a feel!" Yuki giggled. Rei did not understand, but there was something in the facial expressions and soothing caresses of a caring friend to her hand that made her trust this girl.

"Understood," Rei answered simply. Ayanami's eyes suddenly closed, and her head flopped backwards. Yuki suddenly got the image of an automaton or stuffed animal sagging to lifelessness when she saw the First Child's muscles melt from their tense state. The albino's whole body seemed to ease into the bench, then leaned to the left.

This was a fairly private courtyard on campus. The bench Yuki had selected was surrounded on three sides by small, well-kept plants and bushes. Therefore, Rei would not have felt as much concern for her reputation, Yuki considered, since they could not be seen. As the afternoon shifted to early evening, the sounds dying away in the schoolyard, Rei's head was guided to rest in Yuki's right shoulder, the contestant wrapping her arms gently around her companion.

"This feels... nice," Yuki smiled.

•••••••••••••

It was late afternoon, and Misato was concerned. Neither Asuka nor Shinji had returned to the apartment, and none of the three pilots were answering their cellphones. For normal teenagers, this could mean anything from a simple change of plans and a disregard for informing their guardian to outright abduction by a sexual predator. In the case of the Children, however, quite a few other shady scenarios were playing through the woman's head. Kidnapping and assassination were on the top of the list.

She was about to contact Section Two when a knock sounded on her door. There were very few people left in a state of the art city like Tokyo-3 who ignored the doorbell and went straight to the hollow steel surface with their knuckles. She remembered one particular person who insisted on this tradition, and ground her teeth in preparation for him. "Kaji," she answered, smiling menacingly. "What brings you here?"

Ryoji Kaji handed the woman a black and white print-out of a website. The vertical streaks and light gray content indicated he had used a commercial printer low on toner. "Have you seen this?" he asked. "I know the pilots deserved some kind of social life, but _this_ is not what I had in mind."

"Wait, what is this?" Katsuragi snapped, practically tearing the page out of the man's hand. She read over every line of text, every pixel carefully. The unshaven man just stared anxiously as he tried to read his former lover's thoughts through her twitching eyebrows. After a minute of facial twitches ranging from anger to mental exhaustion, the major did what she could do best. "Oh God!" she gasped in a cackling laugh. "This is _great_! Just fabulous!"

"Please, Misato!" Kaji mistakenly began in his serious tone. Instantly he froze, watching Katsuragi glare at him, crumpling the paper. "Please, this isn't funny! This could seriously hurt them!" The major was about to question what the man knew about hurt and emotional pain when he explained. "They are put under enough strain just as normal kids with problems, but _piloting_, this could just cause everything to fall apart."

"I'm going to _kill_ Asuka for putting Shinji through this!" she hissed. "This _has_ to be a scam! There's NO WAY Asuka's best friend would willingly date Shinji!" While Misato continued to curse and screech in the doorway, Kaji realized after a long time that she had made the right choice breaking up their relationship. She had saved him the pain, and now helped him realize the error of his ways for ever thinking something was possible with her. The man walked solemnly down the catwalk of the apartment, and wondered where the pilots could have been, as well as his chances with a certain brunette lieutenant.

End of Chapter II

•••••••••••••

Before you even ask, _no_, Yuki is not a lesbian! There's always a small group of girls in junior high and high school that seem to just burst with affection for their friends. They use touch and soothing words to comfort others when things go wrong, whether it's a guy or girl. Yuki is written specifically as one of those types. Asuka can be argued to be Rei's counterpart, but the only thing that challenges the cold, rational behavior of the First Child is a very emotional, tactile individual.

•••••••••••••


	3. Chapter III: Cunning Plans

I do not own the rights to Neon Genesis Evangelion, or any of the characters, equipment, or locations written in this fanfiction. The purpose of this fanfiction is merely for the non-profit enjoyment of other readers. If requested by Gainax, Hideki Anno, or other parties which represent aforementioned objects in this story, I will remove it promptly.

**Chapter III:**

The first couple, with elder sister as chaperone, spent most of their time wandering. There was simply no place to go on a quiet day like this. There was no traffic, no people wandering outside, nothing. This, of course, was not unusual in Post-Impact Japan. However, Hikari felt there was something wrong with this. Kodama looked down at her brooding sister. "Hey, Earth to Hikari," the elder sister grinned. "What's the matter?"

The problem, however, was fairly obvious, as it was walking along with them since the junior high school. She didn't know what to think about the events of that day, or for that matter, how she was supposed to behave. She liked Toji, and there was no point in going ahead with this mockery of love. It didn't help that while she felt something for Suzahara, she had a pretty good idea who put her name in the contest.

"You realize I didn't even enter this contest, right?" the younger Horaki snapped in the general direction of her male companion.

"Yes," Shinji answered sluggishly.

Kodama watched with interest as her sister rubbed the bridge of her nose. The high schooler had to get back to class, but didn't want to leave them behind. At least, she knew returning to class was the right thing to do. "You know this is going to be a simple, one time date, and that's it, right?"

"Yes," Ikari answered.

"Ugh, do you say ANYTHING other than 'yes'?" the class representative yelped.

"Yes," Shinji groaned. Kodama giggled, but the other two were not particularly happy. While Shinji found Hikari to be a nice girl, there were other problems on his mind. Having Kensuke interfere with his life, and making the public enter a lottery to determine his relationship status. Hikari, for the most part, sided with Asuka that Shinji was just another "stupid boy". She had no interest in anyone besides Toji, and although his hospitalized sister put her in the contest, she would not be forced into a date for charity.

"Damnnit, that isn't funny!" Hikari snapped. Shinji stumbled, losing his balance, and fell to the ground. In comparison to asphalt, concrete is far less malleable, and therefore, far less forgiving. Shinji hadn't really thought of it before, but found the observation was the first to enter his mind after the stinging pain entered his skull. "Shinji? Are you okay?"

The class representative knelt to the ground, jerking Shinji up by the left arm. "Oww!" he hissed. "You're hurting my arm!" Instinctively, the girl loosened her grip, forgetting gravity still applied whether Ikari wanted it to or not. The boy fell again, smacking hard against the pavement.

"Shinji?" Hikari cried. "Oh God, I'm sorry!" She was about to grip the boy again, when Kodama knelt beside her. The elder sister helped the boy to his feet, checking the small cuts on his forehead. "Hey! What are you doing?" the class representative shrieked.

"I thought you didn't show any interest in him," Kodama said, letting a sly grin cross her face. It took a moment, but her sister turned beet red. She looked into the boy's eyes, passing her hand back and forth, shadows being cast on his face. "Okay, your eyes are dilating, so you don't have a concussion." The high schooler smiled. "I thought you wanted to get intimate with my sister, not the ground."

Both junior high schoolers blushed. "It's not like that!" they cried simultaneously. Each of them tried to plead their case, Shinji rambling about "stupid Kensuke and his project," while Hikari grumbled about "Toji's sister and her meddling." Then both turned to each other. "Wait, then why did you go ahead with it?"

Again, each Child flushed as Kodama grinned. "You two are _so_ precious! You're already such a nice fit."

Waiting to ensure she would not be copied, Hikari spoke first. "Alright, Shinji, out with it. What was with that whole act in class? I mean, you were saying all this crap about wanting to participate to help them get their stupid grade, and you're telling me you don't want any part in it?"

"What am I _supposed_ to do?" Ikari grumbled. "You know how bad their grades are. I honestly didn't think the teacher would let them." He sighed. "Real brave warrior pilot, huh? I can't even say no to my friends." Then he glared at the girl. "Why are _you_ participating?"

"You think _I_ added my name in the contest?" the class representative growled. "If it wasn't for Toji's sister-" Shinji winced, clenching his fists. Hikari had touched a nerve, and didn't realize it until the boy's reaction. "Oh... Shinji, I'm sorry." Shinji smiled faintly, but it wasn't a true smile.

"It's... okay," Ikari lied. "It was a stupid mistake... It was all my fault, after all-" He would have continued, but Hikari gripping his right hand was more distracting than the sidewalk. "Uhh... Class Rep?"

"Shinji, you did your best," Hikari smiled. "There was nothing you could have done better in that situation. And you can call me Hikari now. We are supposed to be on a date."

"Uhh... right."

It took a few minutes as the void of conversation was left unfilled, neither of the two companions willing to speak. Kodama just stood, waiting. This was a private matter, not one she should interfere with unless asked for. Finally, it was the class representative who took the initiative, as usual. "Shinji, are you _always_ this clumsy?"

Shinji shook his head. "You just... surprised me, is all."

"What do you mean?" Both sisters stared at each other, then back at Shinji.

"At school you are so prim, and proper. But... you just, did I just hear you swear?"

Hikari couldn't help but laugh. "You've _got_ to be joking, right?" When Ikari shook his head, the class representative let out a sigh, trying to suppress the laughter. "Shinji, trust me, while I try to be nice at school, I'm just as improper as any other girl in class." She giggled, watching Shinji's face contort as he clearly, like any "stupid boy" started conjuring images in his head about what those words implied. "No, I'm not _that_ bad!" she protested. "I'm just the same, no better or worse. Don't let the title fool you."

"That is very difficult to believe," the boy answered.

"Well, perhaps you'll believe me if I suggest a compromise," the class representative replied, a mischievous smile crossing her face. Kodama knew her sister. Her brilliance didn't just stand at academics. Since that trip to Okinawa, the middle sister had been labeled "The Prank Queen".

"If this involves sacrificing their grades-" Shinji began. Quickly Hikari silenced him by leaning forward, whispering into his ear. He recoiled for a moment, wondering if it were some kind of trick, but as the proposal was explained, he started to trust the girl. "So, they'll still get their grades, right?"

"Of course," the girl innocently answered. "Their results will be perfectly valid."

Shinji sighed. "I don't have much of a choice in the matter, do I?"

Kodama grinned as her sister answered "Of course not!"

•••••••••••••

At the other end of town, Ayanami woke to the dark, cold environment of the school's courtyard. Somehow, she was leaning against something, which didn't make sense as she remembered specifically collapsing against the back of the bench. The First Child blinked a few times, her eyes adjusting to the light, when she recognized the smell and spongy feel of clothed human flesh. "Feeling better?" Yuki asked softly.

Rei blushed, but did not move. Instead, she held perfectly still, thinking, or rather hoping, that the embarrassment would pass. Unfortunately, no matter how invisible she tried to make herself, nothing helped. She was still staring at Yuki, who stared right back at her. "This is... difficult," she muttered with a hint of disgust.

"Why?" Yuki asked, a slight frown on her face. Rei found herself being pulled closer, the raven-haired girl's right arm wrapped around her waist. "Do you really hate people that much?"

"I do not hate them," Ayanami replied. "I am bonded to them... to all people."

"You mean by piloting, don't you?" Yuki asked. Rei nodded, finding herself disliking the human contact less and less. "But do you like people? Do you enjoy being around other people?"

"It is not necessary," Rei explained as if it were fact. "My duties involve protecting others, not being around them." The blue-haired girl felt Yuki shiver underneath her, and looked back into the girl's eyes. "Why are you crying?"

But Ayanami didn't receive an answer, at least not a verbal one. Yuki just pulled her closer, delivering a tight hug with both arms. It was five minutes later when Rei felt it was necessary to protest, but Yuki still clung to her for at least another ten. "Okay," Yuki whispered, sniffling as she wiped her eyes. "It's time to go home."

•••••••••••••

Asuka shuddered from her nightmare, and awoke. She was still on the roof of the school building, and it was clearly dusk. She stumbled slowly to her feet, and wiped the tears from her eyes. Foolish mistake, allowing herself to cry, even if they were night terrors. She couldn't afford to be seen like that.

Almost on cue, she spun around, hearing footsteps from the stairwell. "It's not a good idea, staying here overnight," a tall, stocky boy with black hair and frameless glasses began. "The security system is a pain to beat. The magnetic locks engage at precisely seven o'clock, so you can't leave without a pass. Finally at eight, the entire system engages, and not even the principal can leave, pass or not."

"Who the _hell_ are you?" Soryu yelled at the top of her lungs. She waited for nearly a minute as the boy stood there, observing her behind the spotless lenses. In return, she studied him. "Well, why aren't you answering?"

"Just waiting," he replied.

"For _what_?"

"Just making sure you weren't going to say anything more," he grinned. "Not many people notice it, but you seem to get more annoyed when others interrupt you. I just want to make sure you've said everything you want to say, before I begin talking."

The redhead blinked in surprise, then snarled. "And _how_ would you know that?"

"I can answer your first and last questions simultaneously," the boy grinned. "Simply put, I am a fan."

"Fan?" Asuka shrieked. "You know how sick that sounds? What are you, a stalker?"

"Is it considered being a stalker if you observe Kensuke Aida's dating page, and willingly participate?" he asked. "Seeing as the entire class is involved, you would have to label us all stalkers. You can only claim the contra-positive by a priori, that if a person was a stalker, then such a person would observe the webpage."

Asuka just became more infuriated. "This is not the time for logic!" Soryu had had enough, and on instinct, charged at the boy, arms held in a defensive posture. Just a meter away, she threw a punch, then pivoted, delivering a roundhouse kick with her weak foot.

Asuka, however, had a bad habit of closing her eyes during the delivery of a strike. It was not due to some overwhelming confidence in her victory, but rather like a shark's natural reflex, closing the eyes to protect them from its prey's possible counter attacks. It was a pity she did not outgrow this practice which began years ago, as she would have seen her adversary's response.

The boy used an outside block, advanced towards the attacking Child, and gripping her extended left forearm, performed a throw which could only be described as a sloppy, poorly copied variant of Jiu Jitsu. It was, however, quite effective, spinning the girl about the newly defined rotational axis of her left wrist, and propelling her back to the ground.

Asuka held her breath in preparation for the impact with the asphalt roof, when she felt two arms wrap underneath her torso, catching her as she dived in an awkward belly-flop into the boy she was just trying to disable. She lay there in his arms for a moment, growling and shivering like a cat trying to avoid being put in a bath, before she could finally work past the anger to address him. Defeated again, all she could do now was talk.

"What kind of martial arts was _that_?" Soryu growled, getting to her feet. The minute she did, her target fell to his knees, clutching his back. The girl laughed at the boy's pain for a moment.

"Yeah, _very_ funny," he groaned sarcastically. "I just saved you from possible skull fractures and spinal injuries, and all you can do is laugh at me! No wonder you've never been laid!"

"WHAT DID YOU SAY?" She tried kicking him in the stomach, but again, the boy caught her offending foot, and this time, did not show kindness. With a quick twist, Asuka screamed, falling back to the asphalt, the victim of a newly sprained ankle.

"Is this how _all_ your dates go?" he coughed, rolling onto his back, hoping the still hot pavement of the roof would help relieve the strained muscles of his upper body. "Maybe I should just ask for my money back, let someone else from the lottery participate."

Now the Second Child fully understood. "What are you talking about, lottery?" she screamed. "No one wanted me, remember?" She would have looked away, had the boy not shook his head, grinning. "Wait, why would I want to go out with _you_?"

"Well," the boy began, "other than the fact I am one of only two males in this school to stand up to you, including Toji Suzahara, I am also the only one with any interest in you." Soryu's right eye twitched, wondering why she should believe him, and if she did believe him, why she should show interest in someone who preferred her. It was so much more entertaining to crush the perverted boys' hopes, denying them the one thing they wanted. However, was it truly productive? "And..." he continued, before choosing to close his mouth.

"_And_?" Asuka asked.

The boy smirked as he replied. "And Toji Suzahara is paying for all activities on our date."

The drive to rip this particular boy's heart out was a complex interaction of various emotions and calculations in the German's head. Like all of her prior victims, it was a lose-lose situation. She could make herself vulnerable to the perverts in her class, and reward them with a date, or she could deny them the victory, yet still not find emotional happiness. However, the drive to harm the Three Stooges in any way, shape, or form was only driven by anger, and the simple question of whether she could get away with it.

"I didn't get your name," she sighed. "Isn't that required for a date?"

"Hiroshi Kato," he answered.

Asuka blinked. "Wait, _you're_ the one who came second to me in the school-wide physics exam?" The boy nodded. It was now Soryu realized she was dealing with a serious threat to her status. She took a sharp breath for a moment, before huffing, adding a snide remark. "Well, it doesn't matter! I've already graduated from college, so you could never possibly catch up to me-"

"I'm taking some college courses now," he interrupted. "I have it arranged with the school. My math and engineering classes are taken at the University of Tokyo-2. It makes commuting hard, but my brother gives me a ride, since he's also attending the university." Hiroshi knew this girl, and the way she functioned. It was a matter of first getting past her pride, showing not necessarily dominance, as that would close her off, but rather, showing he was an equal, or slightly below her, just enough to avoid being treated like the Stooges. It was a delicate balancing act, trying to maintain on that thin line of respect, between threat and peasant.

There was a long silence, as he continued. He was convinced it would take just one more sentence, a few more words to firmly place his status permanently into this girl's memory. He would do what no one else had done, what others were not patient enough to do. But while strong, intelligent, and swift, Hiroshi knew a battle like this required waiting, only striking when the opportunity presented itself. "You should look into attending the university, getting your master's. It would be an impressive feat."

Soryu took another sharp breath, sitting up to nurse her ankle. "I hate to disappoint," she grumbled, "but my Kanji isn't exactly suitable."

"Then why not see a tutor?" he asked.

Immediately Asuka boiled over into a rage. "What IS this? First you try to sweet-talk me, then you nearly kill me, catch me to stop my fall, then break my ankle! Now you compliment my intelligence, then insult it again?" She snarled, her breathing fast and harsh. "What is WRONG with you?"

Hiroshi would have answered, but paused as he checked his wristwatch, the alarm sounding. "First, you attacked me, not the other way around. I just defended myself." Asuka tried to interrupt, but Hiroshi raised his voice. There was no other way to make his presence known to her, known that his existence had value. "Secondly, I only sprained your ankle. I didn't break it. Third, I'm not insulting your intelligence. Some of the smartest people at one point or another needed a tutor. No one is perfect at everything!"

"But-!" she cried.

"No buts!" he roared, before taking a sharp breath. Hiroshi stared up at the darkening sky, the first stars appearing above them. "Each human only has a limited lifetime on this planet, and a preset series of talents based on their heredity. Every skill takes away from that limited time each person has, but even if they aren't good at it, even if they don't fully grasp that skill, can learning _ever_ be considered a waste? Is it truly possible a skill you will never be good at be a wasted skill?" He gave the girl a moment to process the information, before he added the conclusion, the final thing he would say. "I'm not good at a lot of things, and I know I can't learn everything, but I still try!"

"Why?" Asuka asked, her voice hoarse from the screaming, but no longer intense. Instead, it was a soft, almost somber whisper.

"Because learning how to learn, and being able to learn as fast as possible is the _ultimate_ skill," he smiled. "If you can learn to learn, it is as close as anyone can get to learning everything." He waited for a few moments, watching the girl try to mask her reactions. She was not good at it, however, and it didn't help that studying non-verbal communication was one of Hiroshi's skills. He found that particular class at the university very interesting.

"Right..." Asuka sighed, looking up at the sky. She couldn't argue anymore, not necessarily because she thought the boy was right. Rather, with that kind of philosophy on life, what possible argument could she use against him? Any attempt to argue against it would require assigning a value to what traits were more valuable than others. That would be a philosophical debate, and one which could not reach any conclusion. It was a subjective subject, something the Second Child couldn't stand.

Trying to think of something else to say, she searched her memory. It then came to her, the lateness of the hour, the darkening sky, and the school building. She started to her feet, confused as Hiroshi just continued to lay there. "Hey!" she grumbled, jabbing at the boy's face with the shoe of her disabled foot as she tried to balance. "Get up!"

"Why?" he asked.

"What do you _mean_ 'why?'" she snapped. "You said yourself the school locks down at seven o'clock! We have to get out of here before-"

"Too late," he sighed. "The doors are already locked, and none of the teachers work late this early into the new semester."

"And _how_ do you know it's already too late?" she grumbled.

"Well, both the fact sunset here in Tokyo-3 has remained constant at seven oh-three in the evening since Second Impact," he began, "and this." He held up his wristwatch. "That alarm was set at five minutes to seven _exactly_, and I synchronize my watch to the school's clock tower every two weeks, to compensate for human error. We've wasted more than five minutes. Even if we had left when the alarm went off, with your sprained ankle, we wouldn't make it in time."

"Why didn't you _say_ _something?_" Asuka snapped.

"You were too busy yelling," he replied.

End of Chapter III

•••••••••••••

The question had been puzzling me the last few weeks, ever since I rereleased chapters 1 and 2 of "Tough". "How do I portray Hiroshi Kato?" I had to invent a character that could potentially sweep Asuka off her feet, but just as easily crush her. He had to be smart, and while I toyed with the idea of making him an obsessed, stalker of a Kensuke-style nerd (minus the sledgehammer and the wooden blocks, as "Misery" doesn't exactly fit in with this romantic comedy theme), I couldn't think of a comedic way to pull that off. No matter what kind of gags I included, like Hiroshi worshipping a golden statuette of Asuka, sacrificing goats to it for her praise, while it would come off funny in a sick, twisted way, everyone would end up hating or pitying Hiroshi.

I, therefore, needed someone who could be Asuka's shadow, or rather, someone who Asuka was a shadow to. From the general plotline I've heard for "His and Her Circumstances", this depiction of Hiroshi might incline the reader to think I got the idea from that other anime. However, I truly got the idea as a cross between Alucard from "Hellsing", and Special Agent Pendergast from "The Relic" (the book, not the bad, poorly written movie version). He would have an ego, but have the knowledge to back it up, as well as being so diverse in his knowledge base, he would be completely unpredictable.

I was also inspired by some of the modern interpretations of Sherlock Holmes, which always focused on the detective's harsh, egotistical attitude, yet with the smarts to back it up. Hopefully the reader will find this produced a worthwhile character.

Finally, the idea of being locked in the school came from a real event. One of the students at my university ended up having to spend the night in the campus library, because she fell asleep while preparing for midterms, and woke up after hours. And before anyone asks, NO, there will NOT be any Hiroshi/Asuka porn action on the science lab tables at the school! I just know there is going to be some response like that from some 13 year old kid, in a bastardized cross between poorly written English and l337.

•••••••••••••


	4. Chapter IV: Aftermath Part I

I do not own the rights to Neon Genesis Evangelion, or any of the characters, equipment, or locations written in this fanfiction. The purpose of this fanfiction is merely for the non-profit enjoyment of other readers. If requested by Gainax, Hideki Anno, or other parties which represent aforementioned objects in this story, I will remove it promptly.

**Chapter IV:**

Annoying: that was the word Asuka first thought summed up the situation. Even with the northern hemisphere in a constant summer from Second Impact, the nights still became bitterly cold. The lack of cloud cover only helped drop the temperature that night. The asphalt roof only held in the heat for another hour, so by 8pm, both students were freezing. Hiroshi did his best to tough it out, and handed the Second Child his uniform blazer. "It's going to get cold tonight," he grumbled.

"_How_ cold?" Asuka snapped.

Hiroshi tuned the pocket radio to the local weather band, while pressing the right earbud back into place. "Fifteen degrees, maybe ten," he answered. "The humidity is also dropping." Soryu grimaced. "Then again, it will be a lovely night."

"Lovely _HOW_?" Asuka yelled. "We're trapped on the school building roof all night!" Hiroshi pointed skyward, the first stars finally visible over the blinding city lights. "Hmmph," she grumbled. "Don't get any ideas, _Second_!"

"Second?" Hiroshi asked.

"Yes, you are second only to me. It's a suiting title. Not many people can earn that kind of rating, not compared to my abilities."

Kato just shook his head. "Sometimes I wonder why no one wanted to date you."

It was another thirty minutes before Asuka spoke again. "Why aren't you saying anything?"

"What is there to say?" he asked.

"Something, anything!" Soryu yelled. "I don't care! This is boring!" Then she started to feel the cold of the night seep through her clothes, biting at her skin. Shivering, and realizing she had no alternative, she hobbled towards Hiroshi, the boy lying on his back. Of course, she had to still remain dominant, and that was always achieved through her pushy, dominant attitude. "Gimme that!" she hissed. Sitting to Kato's right, she pulled out the nearest earbud of his pocket radio, wiped it with the end of his shirt, and placed it in her left ear.

"There is such a thing as 'please'," Hiroshi grumbled. He didn't seem to protest too much, as the Second Child stretched out beside him, lying on her back. The music selection on Tokyo-2's classical station was perfect that night, "The Planets" coming in clear through the earbuds of both Children. "Are you still cold?"

Asuka glared at him, shaking. "What was your first hint?" She squirmed, and cursed under her breath as she had to move closer to the boy, her arm touching his. "Don't you _dare_ get any ideas, Second!" It was a strong sensation, Hiroshi had to admit, but not as strong as the complete hate the girl gave off. All comfort from the close proximity of the girl, the perfect, clear night for stargazing, and an understanding one was amongst their equal was lost. That was, it was lost until Asuka spoke again. "If we were here by choice," she started, "this would be... kind of nice."

Hiroshi smiled. "Is that a hint of happiness I hear?" he asked.

Soryu just grumbled. "Don't get any ideas, _Second_!" She said this while throwing her arms around the boy, pulling the heat source closer. Hiroshi dumbly nodded, and let his eyes close. This didn't seem to be an appropriate response, however, as the redhead jabbed her companion in the side. "Hey, stay awake!"

"Why?" Kato yawned.

"You mean you're just going to sleep, and leave me without any company?"

"It's not like I'm going anywhere," he sighed. "Besides, I thought you didn't want company." He waited only a split second before he interrupted the German. "And you're going to start with 'don't get any ideas, Second,' aren't you?"

Soryu glared, and closed her eyes tightly. The stern expression was only hiding her discomfort, however, as her arm visibly shook against Kato's. She was annoyed, injured, and freezing. Her ankle throbbed, the iconic red shoes on her feet only amplifying the discomfort. It didn't help she was still in her uniform jumper. At least if she were wearing a pair of jeans or slacks, that would have helped insulate her from the asphalt.

She didn't know how long the music from the single earbud played, or how long she was awake on the roof. However, the immeasurable eternity of pain, cold, and scratchy music passed before she even noticed it. Her eyes opened, every muscle in her face sore from being taunt, scowling all night. The orange light of dawn swept down over the roof, and she found herself sitting upright against something warm and metallic.

Hiroshi was asleep to her left, just like her, leaning against the heat exchanger vent. The music was still playing, this time one of Stravinsky's later works. Asuka then noticed her ankle propped up on her companion's black backpack, her own satchel used as an improvised pillow between her spine and the smooth aluminum cowling of the vent. "Wha?" she yawned. "What the _hell_?"

"You complained it was getting cold, didn't you?" Kato smiled. "By the way, can I have my blazer back?" Asuka then noticed the coat draped over her shoulders, her arms folded against her chest to keep warm. The Second Child just sat there, confused. When had he done all of this? How would she have not noticed, even if she were asleep? Surely she would have woken up had he moved her. "Well?" he asked again, waiting for the stunned girl's reply.

"Fine!" Asuka growled, tossing the blazer into his face, then trying to stand on her injured ankle. "OWWW!" she howled, lurching back into the vent, smacking her head against the cowling. She started to curse in guttural tones completely foreign to Hiroshi, but he had a pretty good idea what she was saying as he threw her left arm over his shoulder, and helped her hobble to the stairwell door.

"Something tells me you'll be getting out of the morning classes," the boy grinned. "I'll pick up notes for you, if you don't mind."

"Don't... bother!" she gasped, clenching her satchel's handle tightly in her right hand to ignore the pain. "Hikari will give me the copies I need!" She couldn't understand it. This boy had obviously had to move her to the ventilation shaft, and moving her meant touching things, placing hands where they shouldn't have been. But somehow, she didn't believe this boy, this Hiroshi Kato, would do something like that. He just didn't seem like the type.

"But I insist," Hiroshi grinned, opening the door for her, and guiding her down the stairs. "I wouldn't be a good date if I was negligent in my duties."

No, she considered. He wasn't the type to take advantage of her while she was asleep. He was the type to try and smooth talk his way past her defenses. However smart he was, she reminded herself, she was smarter. Asuka Langely Soryu would not allow someone to work past her masque.

As they made their way down the stairs and to class, Asuka noticed Hikari had yet to be seen. "Fine!" Soryu growled. "Take my notes, and they better be good!"

"Yes, ma'am," Hiroshi sighed.

•••••••••••••

Kensuke looked up from his desk after studying the latest predictions after the first day of the Lottery. Before that time, he was focused on the data. There was nothing, he thought, which would give him such enthusiasm as seeing the hundreds of e-mail replies to the site, especially the fact more than half of them suggested Asuka Langely Soryu was still single by the time the morning began.

Of course, he hadn't expected Hiroshi Kato helping the limping Devil walk by with welts, bruises, and rumpled, day old clothing.

"Hmm, someone likes it rough," the nerd snickered. A few girls who stood behind him, peering over his shoulder, gave the German a nasty glare. It was then Toji walked up to Aida's side, and frowned. "Hey, Toji, what's up?"

"I thought we were cutting them some slack," Suzahara grumbled. The girls behind them scowled, and started whispering gossip about an unusual love triangle between the jock, the Devil, and a certain class representative. Toji felt the tendons in his arms tighten, fingers instinctively balled up into fists. He let out a grunt, taking a few steps towards the pack of girls, all of whom reacted like wasps sprayed with brake cleaner.

Slowly, the hive dispersed, leaving the two stooges behind to continue their work. "We can still tease a little," Aida answered, typing up a response to one of the messages. "If we show too much favoritism, our results won't be valid." He looked over his shoulder to the jock. "And the class will really start to believe what they were saying."

Suzahara cringed. "Wouldn't I lose my soul or get turned to stone if she defiled me like that?" he retorted.

Kensuke couldn't help but let out a laugh. "Oh... man," he wheezed, snorting as he tried to bring his laughter under control. "Now _that_ is going on the guestbook!" As the other students filed in, Aida took another deep breath, thinking through his tasks for the daily reconnaissance. "Wait, where are Rei and Shinji?"

"Now that you mention it," Toji started, "the Class Rep isn't here, either."

The bell chimed at eight o'clock exactly according to Aida's classroom laptop. Kensuke felt his stomach churn slightly with each simulated chime ringing over the loudspeakers. Each tone meant another two seconds that the blue haired pilot was not in class. As he thought about it, the nerd considered he shouldn't worry. She was absent regularly from class, almost on a weekly basis.

He shook his head. Kensuke couldn't allow himself to worry like this, or he would not be an objective analyst for the project. It would also bring forth certain suspicions which were already floating around the class before the project began. In fact, if it weren't for the project, those rumors about him with his camcorder, and Rei Ayanami on the days they were both absent would continue to spread.

Only if he could just clear up that he wasn't like the other otakus, he thought. There was nothing he could think of off the top of his head that could express his interest in an innocent manner. Besides, acting now would just cause more trouble, now that the Lottery had begun. The rumors would start again, and possibly lead to a scandal.

Suzahara and Aida were both shaken from their individual thoughts by the instructor's words. "Well?" he snapped. The entire class just stared at him for a moment, before someone finally rose to their feat. The shuffling of shoes and the sound of desk chairs scraping against the polished floor echoed like a roaring freight train. In the most uncoordinated display of disrespect, the student body bowed haphazardly, the undulating wave of people forming choppy, white-capped peaks, before clambering to their seats. Their sensei simply glared for a moment, before returning to the chalk board.

Each student looked down at their watches, their laptop monitors, or the clock mounted high above the chalkboards. The second hand moved fluidly, driven by a simple AC motor. For some students more than others, however, the second hand appeared to tick each second. In the backs of their minds, or through the shuffling of nervous feet, Toji Suzahara thought he could hear an orchestra working slowly towards the climax of a feature film.

Aida couldn't think clearly, tapping his pencil lightly with each second which passed. The graphite tip was being chipped away, the flakes of carbon irritating the girl in front of the nerd as they pelted the back of her hair. The second hand of the clock really did seem to tick rather than moving fluidly.

Exactly five minutes after the teacher began to pick up on the lecture from before, the classroom door finally opened by a winded, but otherwise stoic Rei Ayanami. Again, the rumpled uniform from the previous day, and the slight discomfort in her eyes caught their attention. The albino glanced across the room, and froze. Her seat was taken by some disgruntled girl, giving her the evil eye. Then a swift movement in her peripheral vision caught the pilot's attention. The raven haired girl was there, waving cheerfully, pointing to an open desk beside her.

"No... way...!" Toji wheezed, before watching his friend start to sink into his desk, lightly bashing his forehead into the keyboard before him.

•••••••••••••

Yuki was smiling up to the point Rei sat to her right, tugging at the hem of her skirt as she sat like an automaton, her fingers dashing across the keys of the borrowed laptop. There was no glance her way, no nod of recognition, nothing. The raven-haired girl frowned, her hazel eyes dipping back towards the monitor before her. Something was wrong, she considered. Perhaps it was something she did the night before.

Yuki had insisted she walk Ayanami back to the apartment. There was something wrong about how the girl could fluctuate so easily between emotions around her, but force herself to remain hidden behind a disguise for the others. As Rei entered her apartment, the pair heard a scuffling of feet on the street below them. It was a good idea, Yuki thought, she walked Rei to the apartment, watching the man in ragged clothing being restrained by two men in black suits. "It is no concern of ours," the pilot spoke calmly.

"No concern?" Yuki asked. "But... aren't those your bodyguards?" Rei nodded in the affirmative. "Then... that guy... he was after you?"

"It is a strong possibility," Rei answered.

Yuki had no idea what to say to this. So, against her father's warnings, she blurted out what was first on her mind. "But, don't you _care_? That guy was after you! Do you have any idea what he would have done to you? Doesn't that even bother you?"

The First Child stopped, frozen in place. "As I said, I am bonded to all people."

"What does that _mean_?" Yuki shouted, causing the men from the street below to look up from the armored van. The girl pounded her fist down on the crumbling concrete barrier. Ayanami flinched as Yuki's fist came crashing down, chipping away at the loose cement. Rei could have sworn she felt the bruise begin to grow, her own respective hand trembling. Yuki mimicked the girl like a mirror, a frozen replica of a human, staring back into the crimson eyes. "You say you're bonded to people. Does that mean you will let them walk all over you? You'll let them abuse you, and do what they want to you?"

"I... do not understand," Rei replied. "You are crying... again. Why are you crying?"

The steel fire door to the stairwell boomed like a thunderclap, slammed open by the two men in black suits from below, their bodies sagging while they tried to catch their breath. Yuki jumped, looking at the two men who finally lost their standard issue sunglasses. "Is there a problem, Ms. Ayanami?" one man asked.

Rei held perfectly still addressing the men with factual clarity. "There is no need for concern," she answered. Then she looked back at Yuki, the girl trembling from the cold. At least, she thought it was the cold, but she couldn't be sure. "This is a classmate, and she needs a safe escort back to her residence."

"But Ms. Ayanami, we can't leave you unguarded!" the other man protested, before silenced by his superior. "But Sir!" he pleaded.

"We can dispatch another unit from headquarters for a pick-up," the lead agent explained. "Miss, if you would come with us..." Yuki paused, then nodded, giving Rei a questioning glance before she walked away. Now, in class the next day, she thought about the consequences of that night, what could have possibly passed through the pilot's mind since then to return her to being so cold.

The questions were answered as the clock chimed for the noon hour, and lunch break began.

End of Chapter IV

•••••••••••••

Yes, I know, there has been no discussion of where Hikari or Shinji are. Trust me, there is a plan in mind.

•••••••••••••


	5. Chapter V: Aftermath Part II

I do not own the rights to Neon Genesis Evangelion, or any of the characters, equipment, or locations written in this fanfiction. The purpose of this fanfiction is merely for the non-profit enjoyment of other readers. If requested by Gainax, Hideki Anno, or other parties which represent aforementioned objects in this story, I will remove it promptly.

**Chapter V:**

Kensuke had just completed analyzing the noon hour polls and responses to his website. Through the convenience of both a majority of the students and the respective working professionals in Tokyo-3, if not all of Japan, taking the same lunch break each day, he could easily complete his daily assignments for the project while consuming his homemade sandwich. The latest addition to his analysis, using the IP addresses of all registered visitors to track their locations, added to the complexity of the final presentation. He could confirm without a doubt to his professor and his peers that the interests of the pilots' love lives were not restricted by any barrier, be it age, sex, race, or religion, within the nation of Japan.

Then he spat out a bit of meat which trapped itself in his meal, the half-chewed morsel staining the keys on his laptop. "To-ji?" the nerd squeaked. Suzahara looked up, Aida urging the jock to come closer. "You might want to take a look at this."

Toji squinted at the screen, his jaw tightening into a grin. "Hmm, looks like the local inmates have a thing for foreigners," the boy chuckled. "I thought that asylum was closed down years ago."

"It gets worse," Kensuke sighed, punching up more data, now displaying the results within a ten kilometer radius. "See all of these untraceable routes?" Aida's friend nodded. "Notice how they all branch out of the local government supercomputer?"

"Uhh, yeah..." Toji mumbled. "So?"

•••••••••••••

Maya Ibuki stared at the latest polls, each aspect of the pilot's personality mapped out in a numerical scale, compared to those of their chosen partners for the Lottery. "This is... quite detailed," she blushed, noticing the portion which considered compatibility by "physical characteristics." She still couldn't believe how a site this open to the private lives of the pilots was

allowed. It was, after all, the Magi's web search and blackout subroutines which brought her to this particular project.

Normally, Misato Katsuragi would have agreed to purge the server, using any variety of their digital warfare arsenal to exterminate any leaked information on NERV personnel. However, somehow the major already was informed about the site, and didn't even care. Whenever the brunette mentioned it to her superior, the operations director simply cackled, then went into a bout of cursing the redheaded pilot for setting up the commander's son in some sort of scheme. It had gone on like that for two days now, and nothing had resulted in the lieutenant's daily review of "all hostile information sabotage."

"Is something particularly amusing, Lieutenant?" a man's voice cracked the silence, causing Ibuki to jump. Maya found herself standing at attention, facing an unshaven face, and dark eyes. "Ah, I see you've found it already," Kaji began. "That is most fortunate."

"Mr. Ryouji?" she asked hesitantly, her hands clenched behind her back as she stood, giving the man her full respect.

"I'd like to discuss why this website has not been... dealt with," he explained. "Normally, standard procedure when the Magi have detected public information harmful to classified personnel is to erase all data, and reformat the offending server." His eyes widened as the woman cringed, awaiting the barking of orders. "Well?" he urged again.

"I'm...sorry, Mr. Ryouji!" she pleaded. "The Magi left this site for review by someone with a Level Three security clearance, and Major Katsuragi has not given me any orders on this."

Kaji sighed. "I spoke to her about this two days ago. Before, it was nothing too harmful. Most was just random facts mixed with rumors. But now, now it's gone too far." The spy side-stepped the lieutenant, planting his hands on Maya's terminal as he studied the displayed data. "Do you realize how many people within NERV know about this site?"

"It's... hard to say, Sir," Maya lied. Oh, she knew, all right. There were several mechanics within the Cages who started reacting differently to the Children over the last few days. Three of those were proud fathers of students who attended Tokyo-3 Junior High, and approached the Third Child with a few rather harsh words that involved protection, hurting their precious daughters' feelings, or informing him he was not welcome in their family.

In total, she could assume the entire Eva technical maintenance crew, along with the information systems support personnel were checking the updates daily.

"Permission to speak, Sir?" Maya asked, pivoting on her left foot to stand, facing Kaji's side. As he nodded, Ibuki made her case. "It is questionable data, but no addresses, relations, or sensitive information has been leaked." She was about to continue, but chose to bite her tongue. Too late, she considered, as the spy raised an eyebrow in anticipation.

"You were going to say something more?" he asked.

"Sir, with all due respect," she began, clearing her throat. "The performance of the pilots as of late has been... declining."

"Declining?" Kaji asked.

"This social interaction, while resulting from a questionable source, may offer an improvement in their performance." Maya knew she was pushing her luck, but continued regardless. "Remove all of the polls, the statistical sampling, the feedback, and this is simply three blind dates prepared by a close friend. There is no way NERV could possibly prevent fraternization with the pilots' peers."

Kaji sighed. Like it mattered, he thought. Everyone in that class were Eva qualifiers, anyway. "Lieutenant, is there any defined chain of command for a situation of this nature?"

Maya shook her head. "No existing orders were ever developed for this kind of situation, Sir. We never anticipated the pilots being this popular. Our only scenarios of a personal nature involve shielding the pilots from public retaliation."

Ryouji nodded quietly, thinking it was just another insult the Children had to suffer with. Of course they were not treated as normal teenagers. They were shielded like idols, but as expendable as a few measly bearings in a far more complex, unforgiving machine. "In that case, I will take the necessary steps to create such a protocol," he said. "As assistant to Doctor Akagi, you have both the rank and security clearance to deal with any consequences resulting from this information leak."

"Sir?" she asked. Maya did not like where this was going.

"Congratulations, Lieutenant," Kaji smiled. "You are officially my second in command for our new public relations branch." He stopped to watch Ibuki's hands begin to shake, her body's instincts telling her something was horribly wrong. "By the power invested in me through rank and privilege, I am charging you with monitoring all relationships of an intimate nature between the pilots and civilian elements."

"But, Sir!" she protested. "We can't possibly have the authority to do this!"

"Of course we do!" Kaji beamed a bright, used car salesman grin. "As an independent observer reporting directly to NERV's administrative branch and the intelligence officer present, I have full authority to implement any programs I deem effective in preventing potential calamity between authorized and civilian personnel. That includes any civilian authority which may choose to interfere, who I can ensure answer to the fullest extent of our executive powers."

Maya gulped.

"Please, Lieutenant," Kaji smiled, handing her a business card. "Contact me after your shift so we may discuss today's events, and further develop an operation plan. I expect you to have a report for me within the hour."

As Ryouji Kaji strode out of the command tier, Maya plopped down into her wheeled office chair. Taking a moment, she collected her thoughts, and summarized what had just happened. Apparently Mr. Ryouji had known all along about this website, but chose to use her as an indirect arm to take corrective action against it. Given this did not pass through normal channels, it was quite obvious this was an unauthorized action that could make NERV far more visible to the civilian population than her superiors would deem appropriate.

She effectively became NERV's illegal paparazzi, reporting to a man with questionable ethics.

Setting her head in the palms of her hands, she took a deep sigh before bookmarking Aida's website, and opening a secure path through a randomized course of servers. She would have to hide her tracks if she were to take the first, obvious course of action. A few keystrokes later, the selection of offending users were found, and targeted with the first of five severe level digital systems weapons at her disposal.

Was she really up to doing this?

Maya considered the consequences of her actions, and what could potentially happen if she refused. The decision, once she focused only on the rational aspects, was quite clear. To ensure the least damage to both the pilots' performance and leaks of more detailed information, the targeted offenders _had_ to be stopped.

Pressing the enter key, she heard a chorus of shouts, screams, and crackling semiconductors as two thirds of the lower tiers of the command deck went dark.

•••••••••••••

"Are you sure about this?" Shinji whined. The formatted disc was ready for uploading, tucked in Hikari's book bag. Ikari checked the time on his watch again. He did not like this plan, not at all.

"Just stay in character, and everything will be fine," Hikari smirked.

"But we're going to look like idiots…" he grumbled.

Hikari rolled her eyes. "That's the point! Look, do you want this nonsense with the website to stop, or don't you?" Horaki had to remind herself for the fifth time that Shinji was a little more introverted than what her plan required. Even during the initial planning phases, he constantly argued with her about her approach to this dilemma. "It's my pride on the line, too, you know!"

"I know..." Ikari sighed again. The class representative was starting to understand what Asuka meant about this boy's attitude towards life. There was no drive in him to thrive. He simply wanted to exist, hiding beyond the scrutiny of the world as a ghost. It was not going to get him anywhere in life.

"What time is it?" the brunette asked for the twelfth time since they entered the building. Unlike Shinji, she was nervous with anticipation. She could see past the embarrassment their little scheme would involve, and picture the end results they would yield. Oh, how she was going to love this, she thought, an evil grin crossing her face.

"Lunch break starts in... ten seconds," Shinji answered.

Hikari let out a deep breath. "Ready?"

"No…" Shinji answered.

"Too bad!" the girl retorted, shoving the boy towards the now open classroom door. "Hi everybody!"

Toji's eyes went wide, his jaw hanging frozen in place. Exactly at noon, the Third Pairing barged through the door of Class 2-A, and with it, came the apocalypse. Suzahara nudged Aida's shoulder. "What is it, man?" Kensuke whined. "Hey, quit it! I have to finish this code." But Toji continued to jab at his friend, his brain frozen in fear. "Okay, what's so import-" Kensuke began.

Rei, the only one unmoved by the actions of the designated "Third Pairing", watched as Kensuke's glasses slid down his nose, and plummeted to the floor. "Again, Ikari?" she asked simply, before returning to her assignments.

Hikari, dressed identically to Shinji, forced the boy to march in lock-step with her to her desk. Each walked in perfect synchronization with the other, following a whispered cadence Hikari muttered under her breath. As they approached her desk, the class representative forced Ikari to mimic her actions exactly, taking a seat directly to her left. The student still occupying that seat, however, had something to say about it.

"This is my assigned desk, Class Rep-" the boy began.

"The _name_ is Shinji Ikari," both she and Ikari answered in unison, their voices a mix of apathy and frustration.

None of the students could believe their eyes. Hikari, identical to her designated boyfriend, wore black slacks, a white, short-sleeved dress shirt, and carried the identical bookbag as her partner. Even her shoes were identical. Her girlish pigtails were gone, replaced by a single braid tucked under the collar of her uniform. Every feature which identified her as female, or characteristically as Hikari, was eliminated, thanks to a painful but clever use of masking tape.

As Shinji's face morphed into a saddened, embarrassed stupor, the former class representative grudgingly had to copy his actions. He was not staying in character. She would have to yell at him about that later. Furthermore, why should he be the one embarrassed? She was taking on all the work. All he had to do was be himself. Rather, he had to play an exaggerated, theatrical form of himself.

"But... my desk!" the student protested again.

"Oh..." both Shinji and his clone answered quietly. "…I... guess I understand." The pair shifted uncomfortably to their left foot, their right hands both clenching in time with the other. Each dejectedly marched, slumping as they went to the back of the classroom to two open desks in the furthest row.

At that moment, an intrigued Yuki overheard Ayanami mumble something about how Hikari was much better than Asuka.

•••••••••••••

Hiroshi groaned, applying ice to his lower back and head. The coach for gym did not buy his excuse for the recent injuries, which led to a very long, incredibly painful game of basketball. Fortunately his class was scheduled for gym at the end of the day, meaning he didn't have to shower with all of his purpling bruises, and he could take as long as he liked to crawl home.

At least he thought he would make it home... eventually.

The hard wood bench facing the basketball courts was not a forgiving surface, but stretched out on the improvised bedding, he refused to move until he could sit up without pain. That, he deduced, was going to take a while. Why had he gotten into a fight with Asuka again? He corrected himself, and remembered he should be asking why the girl always seemed to start fights. Then he cleared his throat, rephrasing the question. "Why did I get picked?" he groaned.

"You make it sound like a punishment, being paired with me, Second!" the redhead snapped. Hiroshi cringed for a moment, but forced himself not to move any further. The pain in his abdominal muscles forced him to remain flat as a board on the painted wooden surface. _"Well?" _Asuka snarled.

"What?" Hiroshi groaned, his eyes rolling limply in his head to face the girl.

"Move over!" the German shouted. Kato stared for a moment, his vision going hazy as he tried to maximize what little pleasure he could from not moving. Soryu was towering above him, the crutch and ankle wrap the only hints of the prior encounter. Then again, he could see standing on the limb was proving rather irritating. Asuka's face was a little more flush than usual, and her teeth were clenched ever so slightly. "I said... move over!"

"And if I refuse?"

"That wouldn't be very nice behavior for a date, would it?" the redhead muttered.

"What's not nice behavior," Kato countered, "is to show no sympathy for someone you injured last night."

"Hey!" Soryu snapped. "You were the one who put your back out, not me!" She then pointed to her ankle. "And if memory serves, I owe you for this."

"You tried to hit me first."

"And you counter-attacked!"

"When someone just wants to talk to you or show you some courtesy, violence isn't necessary."

"It was your fault!" Asuka answered, resorting to classic childhood tactics.

"Was not!"

"Was too!"

"Was not!"

Asuka began to prod the boy with the padded foot of the crutch, jabbing Hiroshi mercilessly in his left side. "If this is your idea of a date, you have a lot to learn."

Hiroshi sighed. "Really? Because I have a good idea where you can put that crutch-"

The crack of splintering wood echoed through the courtyard.

End of Chapter V

•••••••••••••

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